A well-known problem in homes and buildings is seepage of water into the basement, especially following periods of heavy precipitation. This seepage frequently accumulates on the walls and floor line of the basement and, if not controlled, can cause substantial damage to the interior basement walls and to the contents therein.
This water seepage is cause by hydrostatic pressure saturating the soil and “pushing” its way through basement cracks and porous building materials such as concrete block, poured cement walls, and cracked basement slabs. All these building materials are susceptible to percolation and seepage of water through the building structure itself and into the interior portion of the structure.
Various prior art has disclosed waterproofing drainage systems. U.S. Pat. No. 8,820,013 discloses a plate that spans a space between a bleeder hole in a wall and a drainage trench in a floor adjacent the wall. The plate includes a base and a wall extension, substantially perpendicular to one another. The base extends from a point proximate to the wall to the trench where the base and the wall extensions are spaced apart from the floor and the wall, respectively. U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,115 discloses a system and method for preventing the accumulation of water below and about a building, the building having a foundation built on disturbed soil, which is in turn surrounded by undisturbed soil and the foundation extending to a depth. The system includes at least one trench section about the foundation, the trench being at least as deep as the disturbed soil about the foundation and having sides and a bottom.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,190 discloses a method for draining accumulated moisture from the juncture between a wall and footing of a foundation. The method comprises excavating a channel into the floor adjacent to the wall into which a drainage conduit is placed. The drainage conduit is wrapped with a wicking fabric to draw moisture into and along the drainage conduit for conveying to a moisture collection reservoir. U.S. Pat. No. 6,904,723 discloses a waterproofing and humidity control system provided for a building, which includes drain members located in trenches provided in ground beneath and adjacent the basement of the building.
Similarly, other references, U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,696; U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,468; U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,185; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,456 also disclose different variations in waterproofing drainage systems.
In addition, there exists a number of patents, such as the references mentioned, relating to the field of waterproofing that attempt to provide efficient, and cost-effective drainage systems for foundations. Such patents however, fail in many areas. None of these patented systems relieve all the hydrostatic pressure from foundation walls which is the #1 cause of wet basements, failed foundations, and failed retaining walls. All the above described patents specify complicated systems which are expensive, extremely difficult to fabricate, difficult to install, and are limited to the type of basements, structures, and foundations they can be installed on. Many of these patents cause other problems, and many of them simply do not work well or last very long.
Curtain drains have been used for water management throughout the world, however, they have been very expensive to install. Typical curtain drains are dug 12″ to 3′ wide. After excavation is completed, the ditch is lined with filter fabric and French drains are installed. The entire hole is then filled with clean, washed stone. Clean washed stone is very expensive causing typical curtain drains to be too expensive to use in many situations. In most curtain drains, only the first few inches behind the filter fabric gets wet proving that only a few inches of gravel is needed to effectively drain the water and manage the moisture content of the soil.
Therefore, in light problems of the above mentioned systems and other commercially available drainage systems a new and improved system is needed that accomplishes all the following:
1. Simple to install.
2. Very cost-effective.
3. Will work correctly and efficiently for the life of the structure installed upon.
4. Keeps water outside of the walls of the home or structure keeping the foundation walls dry inside and out.
5. Lowers humidity levels in the basement creating a healthier, mold free environment.
6. Protects foundation walls from corrosion caused by acidic rain water.
7. Eliminates hydrostatic pressure.
8. Drains water from around foundation rapidly and away from structure.
9. Uses no electricity.
10. Completely maintenance free.
11. Does not require interior slab that supports base of foundation wall to be removed.
12. Can be installed on any new or existing home, building, foundation, or retaining wall, regardless of type.
13. Can be used with any type of waterproofing membrane.
14. Prolongs the life of retaining walls and foundations.
15. Will never clog with silt or dirt.
16. Makes curtain drains much more affordable.
As will be seen from the subsequent description, the preferred embodiments of the present invention overcome all the shortcomings of the prior art.